Chapter 3 - Management and Accountability

Corporate Governance

The Official Secretary, in his role as Chief Executive Officer, is responsible for managing the Office in a way that promotes the proper use of Australian Government resources while achieving high-quality outcomes. Details of this role and the key elements of the governance framework that applies to the Official Secretary are specified in the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. The Official Secretary fulfils this role through a range of management processes, including by chairing regular Management Committee meetings (involving the Official Secretary, the Deputy Official Secretary and the heads of the Honours Secretariat and Corporate Management branches), chairing quarterly forums with the Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery reviewing Office activities, and chairing meetings of the Office's Audit Committee, which are held three times each year.

As shown in Figure 1, the Office is structured into three functional branches that have responsibility for executive support and the household, corporate management and property, and administration of the Australian Honours and Awards System. Branch managers are responsible for establishing operational priorities within the Office's business plan, using resources efficiently and effectively to achieve agreed outcomes, and monitoring and reporting on team and individual performance through the Office's performance support framework.

The Corporate Management Branch supports the Official Secretary's overall governance responsibilities by facilitating the development of business plans; establishing policy and accountability frameworks; managing risk, fraud and security planning; setting frameworks for and advising on people management; managing industrial relations; and overseeing the total budget management of the Office. The branch also manages the two official residences and coordinates physical security services.

The Audit Committee endorses the annual audit programme for the Office, considers the recommendations contained in individual reports, and monitors the implementation of any changes in policies and practices flowing from such recommendations. The Committee also receives and approves the Office's annual financial statements and associated audit report.

The Office has a Workplace Consultative Committee, chaired on rotation by a staff and management representative, with elected staff representatives from each functional area of the Office. The Committee provides a forum for consulting on pay and employment conditions and for monitoring the implementation of employment policies and practices. The Office also has an Occupational Health and Safety Committee, chaired by the Corporate Manager, which meets quarterly to monitor health and safety issues.

Business planning

The strategic direction of the Office is established through the development of three-year forward-looking business plans that are reviewed on an annual basis. These plans are supported by annual branch operational plans that detail the outcomes and work required to meet the key result areas. In turn, individual staff performance agreements are linked to the operational plans.

With the assistance of a facilitator, key staff met to consider the challenges that would potentially arise over the next three years and what measures the Office would need to take to meet these challenges. A number of changes to the Office's future operating environment were identified, including the completion of the terms of the present Governor-General and the appointment of a new Governor-General. The appointment will involve establishing new operating and support structures to best meet the needs of the new Governor-General.

The planning cycle was extended to a five-year period with the new 2007—2012 Business Plan being established following extensive consultation with the staff leadership team. Work commenced during 2006—07 on establishing the underpinning 2007—08 branch operational plans.

Business continuity

During the year, the Office reviewed and updated its Business Continuity Plan to ensure that sound infrastructure and processes were in place to enable the Office to meet its critical business needs in the event of an incident that would have an adverse impact on its operations. The new plan was endorsed by the Office's Audit Committee and approved by Management Committee. The plan was tested through 'desktop' scenario exercises conducted in early July 2007. A separate continuity plan to deal with a possible influenza pandemic was also prepared.

Risk, fraud and security management

In June 2006, consistent with the Office's approach of annual reviews and updates of its risk, fraud and security environment, a full risk analysis was independently undertaken by Acumen Alliance. The work included assessing the level of risk exposure of the Office through examining governance frameworks and operational practices. The various reviews concluded that, while no high-level risks were identified, some areas of continuous improvement were possible, and these are currently being addressed by the Office.

The Office's risk management policy and plan were reviewed and updated. An updated Risk Management Policy was prepared and a Risk Management Plan 2007 was established for the period from 2007 to 2009. The policy and plan were endorsed by the Office's Audit Committee and approved by Management Committee.

An updated Fraud Control Plan 2007 was prepared, incorporating fraud control policies. The plan was endorsed by the Office's Audit Committee and approved by Management Committee.

The security management policy and plan were assessed and updated as necessary. An updated Security Policy and Security Plan 2007 were prepared. The policy and plan were endorsed by the Office's Audit Committee and approved by Management Committee.

As part of the risk, fraud and security management process in the Office, a number of staff workshops were held in June 2007 to raise the level of awareness of staff in each of these areas. A total of 83 staff attended these workshops. The workshops dealt with ethical behaviour, understanding and managing risk, and dealing with confidential information. These workshops are conducted annually and, together with the Office's policy and procedures and information brochures, they establish a comprehensive management framework in these areas. All staff have access to the material through the Office's intranet. All new staff are made aware of their responsibilities in relation to fraud and security through the Office's induction programme.

The Office continued to participate in Comcover's risk benchmarking programme, which measures the effectiveness of the agency risk management framework, practices and systems through assessment against a set of key result areas. Each agency's performance is also compared with the performance of other fund members. The result for 2007 was a score of 6.7, the same as that achieved in 2006. This score is above the average for all fund members and that of small agencies.

The Office has complied with the requirements of the Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines by preparing fraud risk assessments and fraud control plans, and by developing procedures and processes for the detection, investigation and reporting of fraud.

Audit activities

The Office's Audit Committee comprises the Official Secretary, as chair, the Deputy Official Secretary and the Corporate Manager. Representatives of the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and the Office's internal audit contractors, WalterTurnbull, also attend committee meetings as observers. The Audit Committee met twice in 2006—07. Matters discussed included:

internal audit plan, activity and findings

new or updated administrative policy and procedures

self-assessment of the Office's position in relation to recommendations made by ANAO in relevant administrative audits completed

the ANAO report on the Office's 2005—06 financial statements

updated risk, fraud control and security policies and plans

the new information and communications technology security policy.

In 2006—07, WalterTurnbull conducted the following reviews in accordance with the agreed audit programme:

review of compliance with ComSuper delegations

review of travel policy and arrangements

review of procurement and contract management

a 'spot check' of a range of general operating procedures and compliance, including asset management, use of credit cards, accounts processing, purchasing, payroll, and goods and services tax compliance.

The travel review found that the administration of travel arrangements was generally satisfactory and made a number of minor recommendations related to processing and record-keeping matters to improve performance. The Office has accepted the recommendations and is acting on them.

The audit of procurement and contract management was undertaken to examine the control framework and the effectiveness and appropriateness of procedures. The audit found that the processes and controls within the Office concerning contracts and procurement were of an appropriate standard to mitigate the associated risks. The better practice arrangements implemented by the Office for the management of building projects were noted. Two recommendations for improvement were made and are being addressed.

The audit of the Office's general operating procedures and compliance noted that the Office's processes and controls within the areas under review were of an appropriate standard; however, some minor points were raised to improve the operating arrangements. Measures have been put in place to achieve these improvements.

External scrutiny

In August 2008, the Auditor-General's Office provided an unqualified audit opinion on the Office's 2006—07 financial statements. The Office was not the subject of any agency-specific audits by the Auditor-General's Office, or investigations or reviews by a parliamentary committee or the Commonwealth Ombudsman during the financial year.

Ethical standards

Standards of appropriate behaviour for employees of the Office are set out in the Office's code of conduct, which was endorsed in its 2005—08 certified agreement, as well as in the previous agreements. The code of conduct reflects the Australian Public Service Code of Conduct and Values as set out in the Public Service Act 1999. To ensure that staff are aware of the standards, the certified agreement is made readily accessible on the Office's intranet. New starters with the Office are required to sign a statement saying that they have read and understand the Office's code of conduct.

During the financial year, the Office developed and implemented a policy and guidelines relating to managing workplace behaviour; in February 2007, all staff attended training on the standards of workplace behaviour and ethical conduct required by the Office. This training was well received and is part of an ongoing programme of staff development that is being implemented across all levels of staff in the Office (see 'Developing our staff' below).

Financial management and accountability requirements for the Office are laid down in Chief Executive's Instructions (CEIs), which are issued by the Official Secretary under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. The CEIs are cross-referenced to relevant parts of the Act to ensure that authorised staff are fully aware of their legal obligations. The CEIs for the Office are available to all staff on the Office's intranet.

The Office's procurement policy and guidelines establish clear responsibilities of ethical behaviour for all staff engaged in procurement processes. In tender processes, staff are required to sign a statement to this effect.

Organisational review and development

In the Office's 2005—08 certified agreement, staff and management committed themselves to a number of reviews of functional areas to ensure they are operating efficiently and effectively to deliver a high-quality service to Their Excellencies and the Office generally.

In accordance with this commitment and as noted in last year's report, a consultant was engaged to conduct a review of the household, maintenance and gardening functions and the role and operations of Admiralty House. The consultant, Courage Partners, fully consulted staff and completed a report in November 2006. The report identified a number of areas of improvement and made a series of recommendations on how the administrative and operational processes could be changed to increase the level of efficiency and effectiveness of these functions. The Office accepted most of the recommendations and work continued during the financial year on their implementation.

Courage Partners also came to the view that a new organisational structure for the gardening function would better position the group to meet the requirements of the Office. The Office accepted the proposition and implemented a new structure in February 2007. Consequently, the new positions were advertised and staffed. While the new structure has been in place for only a short time, some management and operational improvements have already been noted.

Staff and management also committed to a review of the operation of the Aides functions in support of the Governor-General's programme. The review was broadened to include a review of the administration of the Governor-General's programme and added to the Courage Partners contract; it was completed after full consultation with relevant staff and Their Excellencies in June 2007. The report's recommendations are being considered.

The Office continues to look for better ways of achieving its outcomes and encourages staff to identify areas of improved efficiency and effectiveness. This continuous improvement process is also a feature of the certified agreement. In a small agency such as the Office, the resource savings from such processes are not generally significant because of the limited budgets available and the spread of functionality.

A small project team was established to review and implement improved policy and operating procedures for record keeping across the Office. During the year, a draft policy had been prepared and considered by Management Committee and guidelines were being prepared. It is expected that the new policy and procedures will be implemented by the end of 2007.

Management of Human Resources

Significant achievements

The Office recorded a number of significant achievements during the 2006—07 financial year, including:

development and implementation of the policy and guidelines for managing workplace behaviour

implementation of a health and wellbeing programme, including influenza vaccinations, health screenings, lunchtime seminars on health, nutrition and exercise; and staff participation in the 10 000 steps walking challenge

continued development of the human resources pages on the Office's intranet, including an events and training calendar, as a convenient point of reference for staff

enhancements to employee self-service functionality, including the ability for employees to change their personal contact and emergency contact details.

The Governor-General and Mrs Jeffery presented a number of staff with a 2007 Australia Day Achievement Medallion at a special staff ceremony conducted on 24 January 2007 in recognition of their efforts in supporting the Office to meet its objectives. Medallions were presented to Sue Phipps, Marilyn Carle and Margaret Higgs, who, as flower arrangers for the Office, ensure the floral decorations are appropriate and well presented at all times; Karen Baker, for the provision of quality human resources advice and support; Peyton Butler, for his contribution to the Honours Precinct Project and professional, dedicated and friendly service; and Lynette Mace, for her dedicated and professional service in ensuring all aspects of the household perform at the highest levels.

Senior executive remuneration

The Office employed one senior executive service equivalent officer during the financial year; however, to avoid the disclosure of personal information, the remuneration level of this position has not been included in this report. The remuneration of the Official Secretary is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal.

Remuneration arrangements

The remuneration arrangements for staff are set out in the 2005—08 certified agreement. At 30 June 2007, the certified agreement covered 78 staff, with ten staff covered by an Australian workplace agreement. No staff are paid bonuses under performance-based pay arrangements. The salary ranges of Office employees by classification structure are set out in Appendix F.

Staffing changes and statistics

In 2006—07, the average staffing level for the Office was 82.2; the budget estimate was 91. The shortfall against the budget estimate was mainly due to the difficulty in recruiting suitably skilled replacement staff to work as case officers in the Honours and Awards Secretariat and in accounting roles in the finance team, in the current strong Canberra employment market. Staff shortages were overcome to some degree through engaging agency staff on a short-term contract basis.

During the year, there were 23 commencements (two on short-term contract) and 22 cessations (two on short-term contracts). The number of long-term contract cessations was 22.5 per cent for the financial year, which is an increase in relation to the previous financial year. The Office's rate of staff turnover has previously been somewhat higher than turnover in other agencies; however, it is now reflecting the employment market in Canberra, where there are increased job opportunities and fewer applicants for positions.

A number of senior managers in the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat, who had been working in the Secretariat for over a decade, took up positions in other agencies or in the private sector. The positions were successfully staffed during the year following recruitment action. The implementation of a new organisation structure for the gardening function was completed and staff recruited (see 'Organisational review and development' at page 31).

To assist in the strategic development of the Office and to maintain efficient and effective support to the Governor-General, the Office is developing a workplace plan that will endeavour to address the challenges of staff retention and attraction, succession planning, and staff development and training.

The Office's staffing statistics, including information on gender, part-time and full-time employment and classification levels, as well as information provided in accordance with workplace diversity principles, are in Appendix F.

Developing our staff

The Office's performance support framework provides the basis for assessing employee performance, providing feedback, and identifying training and development needs. To complement this, the Office has a learning and development framework that facilitates the delivery of individual development opportunities to staff.

Training opportunities provided to staff included a variety of management training courses; workshop and seminars offering specialist accounting, information technology and other skills development; fire safety training; and first aid training.

A programme of leadership development training for staff with supervisory responsibilities commenced in May 2007 with a two-day workshop covering communicating with influence, business planning and corporate governance and financial frameworks. A further full-day workshop was held in July 2007, which reinforced and expanded the themes from the initial training. Further training will be conducted in 2007—08, covering topics such as performance management, feedback and communication, and financial frameworks.

As part of the implementation of a new workplace behaviours policy, all staff attended information sessions on the policy and the behaviour that is considered appropriate and acceptable in the workplace. This included discussion on the Office's values and code of conduct. Awareness-raising workshops were conducted on fraud control, risk management and security management as part of the Office's annual programme of advising staff on their roles and responsibilities consistent with the Office's governance arrangements.

Gardening staff attended a seminar on turf management, conducted by the Turfgrass Association of Australia, and undertook mandatory first aid training. The Gardening Manager attended an irrigation system workshop held in May 2007. A short-term staff interchange arrangement was established with Government House, Perth, for the Head Chef to exchange views and witness procedures and process for the preparation of food for functions hosted at Government House, Perth.

The training and development opportunities provided were aimed at improving staff skills and knowledge of their duties and providing for personal growth. The activities were considered effective in meeting the needs of a range of staff.

Details of staff training and expenditure, by employment category, are provided in Table 7.

Table 7 - Staff development and training in 2006-07

Occupational Health and Safety

The Office's occupational health and safety (OH&S) policy aims to provide a safe working environment to protect the health and wellbeing of its employees and contractors from accidents, injury or illness arising in the workplace. The Office's OH&S Committee, which is made up of representatives from each workgroup at Government House and Admiralty House, monitors this policy. The health and safety of staff remain a high priority for the Office.

The OH&S Committee met four times during the year and discussed issues such as electrical testing of appliances, working at heights, first aid facilities, updating of material safety data sheets and a number of specific workplace requirements. The Committee received feedback on hazard and injury reports and on workplace safety inspections carried out by representatives.

Elections for health and safety representatives were conducted in a number of designated work groups during the year to either reaccredit the existing representative or to elect a replacement representative. Newly elected representatives to the Committee attended a Comcare-accredited health and safety practitioner's course.

In March 2007, the Parliament passed changes to the Occupational Heath and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 (now titled the Occupational Heath and Safety Act 1991). The changes were made to make it easier for employers to meet safety standards in some areas and to provide more flexible workplace consultative arrangements between employers and employees. The Office, along with other agencies, has eighteen months to review and amend its policy and operating arrangements to meet the requirements of the new legislation.

The Committee received a report on emergency evacuation training and exercises conducted during the year, including the training of all staff in emergency evacuation procedures. Evacuation exercises were regularly conducted at Government House, Canberra, and Admiralty House, Sydney.

The Office's health and wellbeing programme was broadened to include a walking challenge for staff to improve their physical fitness; trialling of Tai Chi classes at lunchtime; provision of a small amount of fresh fruit to work areas over a period of six weeks to encourage people to include fresh fruit in their diet; and the conduct of a number of lunchtime seminars on a better balanced lifestyle. Influenza vaccinations were again offered to all staff, with many taking up the offer.

Workstation assessments continued to be conducted for new employees on their commencement at the Office and for employees who changed their physical location.

management of assets and financial processes

Management of Assets and Financial Processes

Asset management

As noted earlier in the report, in 2006—07 the office received additional funding for the second year of a ten-year property works development and maintenance programme to improve the condition of the two vice-regal residences. The Government's commitment to the ten-year works programme will enable the Office to address deficiencies in building, plant and equipment assets that have degraded or are at the end of their life cycle; are inappropriate or inadequate for their purpose; do not comply with Australian standards; have adverse environmental impacts; or present OH&S concerns.

The implementation of the works programme will help ensure that the heritage properties are appropriately developed and maintained for the benefit of all Australians. Further information is provided under 'Property management' in Output 1.1.

During the year, the Office, in accordance with its asset management policy, undertook a stocktake of all assets in the main House and a number of other buildings at Government House. Assets held in storage both on site at Government House or at other locations in Canberra were accounted for.

In compliance with the Financial Management Orders issued by the Department of Finance and Administration and Australian Accounting Standards, the Australian Valuation Office was engaged to review the valuation of all classes of assets. While some revaluations were identified, there was no major change in the asset values for buildings and property.

In 2006—07, a total of $386 766 was spent on items of equipment, computer software and motor vehicles that each had an individual value greater than the Office's asset threshold of $3000. Significant outlays included $150 649 (net) for the purchase of replacement motor vehicles, $99 947 (net) for replacement gardening equipment and $126 899 for computer software.

Purchasing

The Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines (CPGs) and the Office's Chief Executive's Instructions (CEIs) provide the framework against which decisions are made for the procurement of goods and services. The CPGs provide for the tendering of 'covered' procurements with a value greater than $80 000 and of construction services valued at more than $6 million. The Office's CEIs allow for the most appropriate procurement method to be adopted below these thresholds or where the procurement is not classified by the CPGs as a 'covered' procurement.

In line with this framework, the Office also balances the need for open and effective competition with the need to use procurement methods that are cost effective and efficient. Value for money is always a primary consideration when selecting a consultant. The Office receives advice from the Official Establishments Trust in relation to the choice of appropriately qualified consultants for the provision of professional services for the conservation and development of its heritage buildings and grounds.

In general, for projects with a value between $2000 and $80 000, the Office directly approaches a group of known suppliers in the market and consults other relevant government agencies or professional bodies to develop shortlists of possible providers. In accordance with the requirements of the CPGs, 'covered' consultancy projects with a value of more than $80 000 usually involve requests for tenders or invitations to register interest.

Purchasing activities during the year were conducted in accordance with the CPGs and the Office's CEIs. A range of positions within the Office have been delegated responsibility for the exercise of powers under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997. Branch managers are responsible for the expenditure of funds and the management of assets under their control.

The Office has ongoing contracts to provide a variety of contractor services, including internal audit, banking, payroll, office cleaning, and property maintenance and minor works.

The Office's annual procurement plan for 2006—07 was published on AusTender.

Consultants

The Office engages consultants on an ad hoc basis to provide professional and specialist services for building works and architectural services, administrative projects, information technology support and systems development and to facilitate organisational change and management reforms where the Office does not have the skills currently available or where there is a need for specialist and professional skills or independent research.

During 2006—07, a total of 36 new consultancy contracts were entered into, involving total actual expenditure of $375 416. In addition, ten ongoing consultancy contracts were active during 2006—07, involving total actual expenditure of $167 340.

Details of new consultancy contracts awarded in 2006—07 with a value of $10 000 or more are provided in Appendix G. Details of contracts awarded with a value greater than $100 000 are shown on the Office's website, www.gg.gov.au, in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Finance and Administration. Information on expenditure on contracts and consultancies is also available on the AusTender website, www.tenders.gov.au.

Legal services expenditure

In accordance with the requirements of the Legal Services Directions 2005, the Office reports that total expenditure on external legal services in 2006—07 was $70 144.80, GST inclusive. All expenditure was incurred on solicitors' fees. No legal counsel was engaged and the Office did not expend funds on internal legal services.

In collaboration with the Public Service Commission, a public tender was released for the establishment of a legal services panel to service both the Commission and the Office. Following the assessment of tenders, a standing contract was signed with the Australian Government Solicitor and Blake Dawson Waldron for the provision of legal services as required by either the Commission or the Office.

Competitive tendering and contracting

During the reporting year, the Office did not contract to another organisation the delivery of any programme activities that it had previously performed.

Exempt contracts

The Official Secretary did not exempt any contract or standing offer in excess of $10 000 from being published in AusTender on the basis that it would disclose exempt matters under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Advertising and market research

During the financial year, the Office placed recruitment advertisements with an aggregate value of $14 677.01 including GST through the Government's contracted media buying agency, hma Blaze Pty Ltd. No other advertisements were placed, and no market research was conducted.

Discretionary grants

The Office neither made nor administered any discretionary grants during the financial year.

Information Technology

The Office updated its information technology and communications strategic plan, which was approved by Management Committee in December 2006. The plan is used to align the development of the Office's information technology and communications systems with the business needs of the Office. The plan covers a three-year period.

Projects completed in 2006—07 included:

rollout of new personal computers to all Honours and Awards Secretariat staff to ensure they have the appropriate hardware to use the new business system software that is being developed

redevelopment of the Governor-General's website to improve functionality and to improve its content, design and presentation

replacement of voice cabling to the Gatehouse, which was failing, and the installation of data cabling to improve capability.

In last year's report, it was advised that an Information and Communications Security Review was completed by Acumen Alliance. In line with the recommendations of that report and as identified in the ICT Strategic Plan, the Office commissioned Stratsec to prepare an ICT Security Policy that took into account Australian Defence Signals Directorate information, the Information and Communications Technology Security Manual (ACSI 33) and the Protective Security Manual. The policy was approved by Management Committee and is currently being implemented. This will see significant changes to the way in which information and systems are managed by the Office. A programme of staff awareness workshops will be held to ensure that staff are aware of the system changes and their new responsibilities.

Following a tender process, the Office engaged Alphawest Services Pty Ltd to undertake the development and implementation of new software to support Honours Secretariat business processes, reporting and analysis, and for the receipt of nominations online. This is an important project for the Office, replacing old and unreliable technology and manual processes with a modern integrated software solution. The project has been used to identify improved workflow and to look for efficiencies wherever possible. A project team of Honours and Awards staff has worked hard on the analysis and design of the new system. The project is expected to be completed in 2007 for implementation in early 2008.

Commonwealth Disability Strategy

Under the Commonwealth Disability Strategy, the Office's main responsibility as an employer is to provide an appropriate workplace and policies. In this regard, the Office is an equal opportunity employer. Recruitment information is provided through newspaper advertisements and on the Office's website, and applications can be made online. Special needs of applicants are catered for on request. As human resource management policies are reviewed, the inclusion of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 will be taken into account.

Secretariat staff can assist people with disabilities to make nominations for the Australian Honours and Awards System as the need arises. The Office has developed a number of brochures providing information on the range of honours and awards that may be granted and how to make a nomination. This information is also available on the Office's website and on the website of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Secretariat may be contacted by telephone on 1800 552 275 to request nomination material.

Freedom of Information

Section 8 of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) requires each Australian Government agency to publish information about the way it is organised and its functions and powers, and arrangements for public participation in its work. Each agency must also provide details of documents that it holds and of how members of the public can gain access to them.

Organisation, functions and powers affecting the public

The Office's organisation chart and functions are detailed in Chapter 1 of this report. The Official Secretary is the decision maker under section 23 of the FOI Act in respect of requests for access.

FOI procedures and initial contact point

Individuals seeking access to documents of an administrative nature in the possession of the Official Secretary should forward a $30 application fee and apply in writing to:

The Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Government House
Canberra ACT 2600
Telephone: (02) 6283 3533
Facsimile: (02) 6281 3760

Initial enquiries may be directed to the FOI Contact Officer on (02) 6283 3512.

Charges

The Office's policy on levying charges under FOI regulations is that, where applicable, fees should be collected and charges imposed for processing FOI requests. However, fees may be remitted, and charges reduced or not imposed, if the Official Secretary is satisfied that a relevant reason to do so exists. If access is approved, the Official Secretary will provide copies of documents after the Office receives payment of any charges that apply.

Categories of documents

The FOI categories apply to documents of the Office as follows:

documents of an administrative nature

• these documents include personnel records, organisation and staffing records, and financial and expenditure records

documents open to public access subject to a fee or charge, and documents available for access or purchase subject to a fee or charge

• the Office holds no documents in these categories

documents customarily available free of charge upon request

• these include the Governor-General's speeches, and pamphlets on Government House, Admiralty House, the Order of Australia and Australian bravery decorations. A limited number of copies of the Office's annual reports are also available.

Special arrangements apply to the Office. Section 6A of the FOI Act includes the following provisions:

1. This Act does not apply to any request for access to a document of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General unless the document relates to matters of an administrative nature.
2. For the purposes of this Act, a document in the possession of a person employed under section 13 of the Governor-General Act 1974 that is in his possession by reason of his employment under that section shall be taken to be in the possession of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General.

The FOI Act does not apply to documents of the Council for the Order of Australia or the Australian Bravery Decorations Council, both of which were established by Letters Patent.

During the year, the Office received two FOI requests:

A request for documents and information in relation to a staff selection process. A number of documents were released in full and parts of other documents were exempted from release under section 41 of the FOI Act. The applicant sought an internal review of the decision to exempt from release some documents. The decision maker reaffirmed the earlier decision, but decided to release part of some documents earlier exempted. A request for the waiver of the internal review application fee was denied.

A request for documents relating to communications advice. The Office refused this request under section 6A of the FOI Act as the information pertained to matters relating to the Governor-General. The applicant sought an internal review of the decision not to release any documents. The decision maker reaffirmed the earlier decision, but decided to release part of some documents earlier exempted. A request for the waiver of the internal review application fee, received in early June 2006, was denied in July 2006.

There were no FOI requests outstanding at the end of the reporting period.

Ecologically Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection

This report is provided in accordance with section 516A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

The Office does not administer legislation, undertake policy work or deliver programmes as part of its role.

Operational activities

Schedule 3 of the EPBC Act provides for the appropriate minister to include in the Commonwealth Heritage List those Commonwealth places that were in the Register of the National Estate at 31 December 2003. In June 2004, the Minister determined that Government House, Canberra, and Admiralty House, Sydney, would be included in the Commonwealth Heritage List as places with significant heritage value owned or controlled by the Commonwealth.

In accordance with the EPBC Act, the Office prepared a Heritage Strategy that provides advice on how the Office will manage its two heritage properties. The strategy was approved by the Minister after review by the Australian Heritage Council and the Official Establishments Trust. The strategy is available for review on the Office's website.

Over the past decade, the Office has developed a number of conservation management plans for the residences and associated landscapes and uses the services of heritage architects and heritage landscape architects to assist with the development and maintenance of the properties. The Official Establishments Trust also advises on the development and management of the properties.

The inclusion of Government House and Admiralty House on the Commonwealth Heritage List places a number of additional obligations on the Office to protect the heritage value of the properties. With the support of its heritage architects, the Office has continued during the financial year to prepare a management plan for each property to meet the EPBC Act requirements.

Both the Admiralty House and Government House management plans are in draft form and will be reviewed by the Official Establishments Trust prior to submission to the Department of the Environment and Water Resources for comment. Following this, the plans will be sent to the Australian Heritage Council for review and then to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources for approval.

Environmental management system

The Office's Environmental Management Committee met during the year to consider strategies to improve the management of environmental risks and improve environmental performance following an independent review of the environmental performance of Government House and Admiralty House and on the Office's work in addressing the recommendations of an environmental audit conducted in 2006.

In accordance with the Office's environmental management system a further environmental audit was completed in early 2007. This audit included a number of recommendations for further improvements to the Office's systems and operations, including developing and implementing standard operating procedures for a number of activities being undertaken; better storage of fuels, chemicals and dangerous goods; full audit of the performance of the irrigation systems being used at Government House that are now over ten years old; and the raising of awareness and training of staff in their environmental responsibilities.

The 2007 report noted progress with earlier recommendations such as changes to watering of gardens and lawns; recycling of organic material on site for compost; use of energy-saving measures such as energy-efficient light fittings; improved methods of collecting paper for recycling; and the upgrade of equipment to allow for double-sided copying.

The Committee also received reports from each branch on actions taken to save energy by turning off computers, office equipment and lights when not needed; installation of timers on hot water urns; and upgrading of external light fittings. Other actions identified were the reduction in the number of vehicles in the vehicle fleet; use of ethanol fuel in vehicles; and the better utilisation of vehicles to transport staff and luggage.

Environmental initiatives

To assist with the better management of the properties, the Office commissioned consultants to undertake investigations and prepare a water conservation report for Admiralty House and to update the energy conservation profile for Government House. The water conservation report was received in June 2007; it highlighted a number of areas where improvements can be made. The report's recommendations are currently being assessed. The energy report, received in August 2007, identified a number of initiatives that would reduce energy consumption. The report's recommendations are being assessed.

The Office continued to improve its environmental performance in all areas of its operations. Some of the achievements are detailed below.

Improved garden management practices and priority setting led to a reduction in use of non-potable water extracted from Lake Burley Griffin for the watering of the heritage landscape at Government House. Despite severe drought conditions, there was a 20 per cent saving from the limit allocated.

Light fittings and globes throughout the kitchen service wing at Government House were replaced with more energy-efficient lighting.

Improved gardening practices at both properties led to planting of more drought-tolerant plants; greater use of mulch on garden beds to lessen evaporation; use of the underground water tank at Admiralty House, with a 56 per cent reduction in potable water used; gradual changeover of irrigation systems in garden beds; trialling of drought-tolerant grass species; and continued recycling of garden waste instead of sending this off-site for disposal.

The design of the new office building for the Honours Secretariat has specifically incorporated a range of environmental efficiencies including using high quality insulation, energy-efficient air-conditioning, double glazing to all fixed windows, a solar hot water system and a reduced need for artificial lighting by thoughtful positioning of windows and the use of light coloured internal finishes. The roof design allows the collection of rainwater into a 10 000 litre underground water tank; the collected rain water is then used within the building for flushing toilets.